Frigga's Courage
by harrylee94
Summary: "He will not receive any more or any less attention than Thor, and if I discover that you are not treating him as your own flesh and blood, you will rue the day you named me your wife!" Frigga has always been the image of a perfect wife. But now, she will strive to be the perfect mother. Stemmed from the thought; 'What if Loki knew he was a Jötunn'. NO INCEST!
1. An Unexpected Gift

**An Unexpected Gift**

Frigga watched as the grey clouds swirled in the sky as she stood by her window, her mind occupied by thoughts that had been plaguing her mind for many years now. This war with the Jötnar had taken its toll on all, both warriors and civilians alike, and it was likely to leave a scar in both their histories.

The sky had not let the sun shine or the stars and moon's light glow down upon the mighty kingdom of Asgard since her husband's departure some weeks before, leaving its people to live in shadow. Thor, her one and only child of all but seventeen name days, was beginning to grow restless, the sky's constant bombardments causing many a sleepless night.

Luckily, this night was not set to be one of those nights, the clouds not dark enough to carry the weight of lightening. Its calmness was something that had not been seen for some time, and spoke of the King's return.

Suddenly, Frigga's thoughts were interrupted by the distant hum of the one thing she thought she would never hear again; the opening of the Bifrost.

At last, her husband was returning to her, for if it were not he, then the skys would have been mourning his loss.

Walking swiftly into the throne room, the Queen of Asgard awaited her King's arrival in trepidation, her thoughts wondering over what wounds he might have obtained since the last time she had set eyes upon him, the memory of the scars that now cut his body still fresh in her mind.

As the time passed, her nerves and fears grew, and she was beginning to fear that he had suffered some major injury when at long last the doors swung open.

"King Odin Borrson, All-father and defender of the nine realms!" a squire cried as a familiar figure entered.

It took everything Frigga possessed not to run, as she could see the crowd that had gathered in the hall as the doors began to close again, dignity and expectations holding her to remain calm and collected. It was only once they were shut and the two of them were hidden from the world that she was able to speed her way to his side.

"My husband! Are you scathed?" she asked, looking up into his… "What ill has befallen you to cause this loss?"

Odin gave her a small smile, his one remaining eye glistening at her care, the other now replaced by a gaping hole, "It is of no matter. The one who caused it lies dead by my hand, but I fear that there is naught that can be done."

Frigga could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes as she reached up to caress his cheek. "Oh Odin…"

The All-father placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort, but his other remained hidden beneath his cloak. "Do not fret, Frigga, it does not ail me. And I bring gladder tidings!" He pulled his arm from his cloak to reveal…

"A child?"

Taking a step back, she examined the bundle that was being held out to her.

It contained the smallest babe she had ever seen, a tuft of dark hair atop its head and bright green eyes that were filled with innocent curiosity, immediately dissipating the idea that her husband had been unfaithful, as his children only bore his eyes and his once golden hair. When those emerald orbs landed on her, she was rewarded with a toothless smile.

Pulling it into her arms, she let the infant tug at her hair, though it was gently, unlike her son who seemed more intent on taking some rather than examining it, as this one was doing.

"I found him, abandoned in the temple. One of my soldiers killed the Jötunn that had been poised to kill the child. If we had been a moment later…"

Frigga stared at her husband a shiver running through her body. Who would want to kill such an innocent thing? And then realisation struck her, "But that would make him a-"

"A Frost Giant, yes."

They remained in silence for a few moments, but then the babe gurgled as he tried to stuff his fist into his mouth, and she couldn't help but smile. What was it about the child that his own kind cast him out? What was so wrong?

"Why is it that he bears not the colour or the markings of a Jötunn?" she asked, moving her finger over the soft skin of the child's arm.

Odin frowned, "That is, indeed, a mystery. Almost as soon as I held him in my hands, his complexion changed to that of an Æsir. It was not of my own doing."

Taking his head in her hand, Frigga reached out to the branches of Yggdrasil and searched the boy's soul.

Her eyes grew wide.

So it was not disgust, but fear!

"This child is imbued with such powerful natural magics!" she gasped, "He will be a great enchanter. One that could match even the elves. Perhaps more so if his gifts were to be properly nurtured."

Odin looked troubled by this news. No doubt he was worried of the threat he had unknowingly brought into his home. Or maybe it was just the fact that magic was reserved for women, considered to be tricks and delicate.

In other words, too difficult for a man to grasp the concept of.

Frigga's eyes narrowed. "What was the purpose of bringing him here?" she asked, "There must be a reason."

The King of Asgard squirmed like a schoolboy under her gaze. "The child is the offspring of Laufey, the King of the Jötnar. It was clear by the marks he wore. I was hoping-"

"You were hoping to use him to unite our realms," she finished for him, nodding slightly at his logic, flawed though it was, "Had you considered the fact that he had been sat under a knife?"

The All-father looked confused.

"If he was left to die, no matter his parentage, would he not be deemed unworthy by his own people? He will not be the tool used to hold peace between our realms," she continued, "Does your purpose for this child sound of folly now? Is his purposelessness enough reason for you to end his life before it has even begun?"

"Frigga, please-"

"Tell me, Borrson, what did you intend to do with the boy other than use him?" she asked, her voice beginning to rise.

Her husband remained silent, though some of it was due to the shock of her using his last name. She _never_ did that. Not in the entire time that he had known her. And that was why she did now. It held an unspoken power over him, and she was going to use it to make him listen.

"You disappoint me, husband," she said, looking back down at the child who had taken a firm grasp on her forefinger. He seemed oblivious to the whole ordeal, and smiled up at her, chewing on her knuckle. "Due to your thoughtlessness, you have brought another child into this household. As it was you who decided to spare his life, it shall be your, and therefore my, responsibility. Therefore, he will be regarded as your own son."

"But-"

"No! He was a prince on Jötunheimr and so he shall be on Asgard. He will be his brother's equal and you will treat him as such. He will not receive any more or any less attention than Thor, and if I discover that you are not treating him as your own flesh and blood, you will rue the day you named me your wife!"

Odin was dumbstruck. Just as she'd never called him 'Borrson', Frigga had _never_ stood against him. And it frightened him.

Glancing at her husband's wounded eye, the Queen of Asgard, who had truly lived up to her name, gave him a soft smile, ignoring the pang of pain she felt. He did not deserve her pity. At least, not now. A smile that could freeze ever the blood of a Frost Giant.

"Have the healers seen to your injury, my dear husband?" she asked, her voice so sweet it made him cringe.

Bowing, he began his hasty retreat towards the healing room. "I shall see you in our quarters?"

"I do not believe you will tonight," Frigga replied, smiling down at the babe who hadn't ceased sucking on her finger, "My son and I need to be better acquainted. Is that not so, Loki?"

**AN - Okay, so I've finally given in to those incessant nibbles of the many, MANY plot bunnies that have been hopping around in my head, preventing me to write ANYTHING else, so hopefully I'll be able to get my mind back from their... admitted cute and fluffy clutches.**

**A big thanks to Unleashed Mischief for getting me to finally start this! And an AMAZING back story (You know what I'm talking about Kez).**

**And today, my backing track for my new story is K.I.L.L. by Nick Murray & Mark Moore (the backing music to the Looper trailer)**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! And hopefully the next one won't be too far around the corner. Just keep nudging those bunnies and I'm sure an update will appear within the week!**

**Hope my first attempt at a Thor-fic didn't disappoint!**


	2. First meetings and Decisions

**First meetings and Decisions**

She had spent the night in the nursery, sitting in the rocking chair next to the balcony, letting sweet lullabies drift softly from her lips as she coddled her new son. As the clouds dissipated, the light of the moon lit the room, the babe slowly drifted to sleep, sucking on his tiny thumb. An unfortunate habit she would have to make sure he would not keep.

Unwilling to disturb him, Frigga had remained in the chair all night, which, she soon discovered, was not the most ingenious of all ideas.

As the sun's rays began to filter through the thin fabric of the curtains, and the small bundle in her arms began to squirm and gurgle, she woke to an unpleasant ache in her neck. But then, she'd been through worse. She was a mother after all.

Looking down into her arms, she found her new child struggling with the cloth around him, a look that seemed close to tears on his face. Pulling the cloth back, she watched as his attention turned towards her, those bright, curious eyes capturing her gaze as he gave her a toothless smile.

"Good morning Loki," the Queen said, pulling him closer and placing a kiss on his forehead which caused him to giggle before stuffing his fist into his mouth again. Returning his joyful expression, she stood, holding him closer, "I think it's about time to feed you."

Slipping the sleeve over her shoulder, she picked up a cloth that lay folded on a table and held him close. Walking around the room, she watched as her child fed in silent awe, wondering how such a tiny thing could instil so much love and care in her in such a short time.

As she sat down again in the rocking chair, Loki decided that he was finished and she wiped his mouth with the cloth before draping it over her shoulder. Holding him very carefully, Frigga pulled him up next to her shoulder and patted his back to burp him. Once he was finished, she used the cloth to clean off his mouth again, along with her front as she pulled her sleeve back over her shoulder once more.

Almost as though he had been waiting for her to be made decent, the doors burst open and, in a flurry of red and gold, her eldest son ran straight to her side.

"Mother! Mother, look!" he cried, holding his toy sword aloft, "Master Wuldor has shown me how to be a true warrior! Like Father!" And with that, he began to swing the wooden blade around with no visible signs of any technique. "Master Wuldor said that, one day, with enough practice, I will be an even better warrior than he!"

Frigga giggled as she watched him fight imaginary enemies, "And a good morning to you as well, Thor."

She continued to watch as he made his way around the room, his nurse maid standing watchful in the doorway, until he shouted in triumph, raising his sword above his head. Mortals by his age would already be near fully grown and deemed worthy of adulthood, but Æsir did not age as they did, and so the young prince was still of a physical age much akin to a young child of perhaps five or six name days.

Loki, who had been giggling in her arms, tried to copy his brother, his own cry bringing the blonde Prince's attention away from his games.

"Mother?..."

Smiling at her son, she beckoned him towards her. "Thor, I have something I wish to show you as well," she said as he slowly approached, lowering his blade, "I would like you to meet your new brother, Loki."

Her eldest stared at the newest member of his family, kneeling down to inspect him more closely. As he did so, the emerald eyed boy reached up and playfully held onto the tip of his nose.

Thor laughed. "His hands are so tiny mother! How will he ever be able to wield a sword?"

"He is but a babe now, my son. You were once almost as small as he! And look how big you've grown!"

Her eldest grinned at her before moving his hand over the child, who moved his grasp to the fingers that were now hovering above him. "Hello Loki. I am your brother, Thor. You might be small right now, but one day you will be as big as Father! But never taller than me. You aren't allowed to be taller than me."

Loki stared up at him, face blank and his eyes confused.

Frigga laughed lightly, knowing that the babe probably had no idea what his brother was saying. "Would you like to hold him?"

The Prince looked up at him, fear in his eyes. "Oh, but… Surely I would crush him! He is so small!"

"He is not as fragile as you think," she replied, standing up. Nodding over to the maid, she moved out of the way of the chair, "Now, sit down and I will tell you what to do."

Cautiously, Thor sat himself on the rocking chair, dropping his weapon on the floor as the nurse maid came to stand beside him, holding the chair steady.

"Now, when I hand him over to you, you have to make sure you keep his head raised, so raise your elbow slightly, so he can lean on it," Frigga explained, kneeling down in front of him, "Are you prepared?"

Though he looked nervous, the blonde boy nodded, holding his arms out.

Careful so as not to disturb him too much, the Queen placed Loki into his brother's arms.

At first, the babe seemed to dislike being in Thor's arms, moaning slightly and trying to reach for his adoptive mother, but after a little time adjusting, he seemed more than content with his elder brother.

Such a wonderful child…

"Your Majesty."

Frigga turned to look at the doorway, in which stood a messenger, who subsequently bowed at the acknowledgement of his presence, though remained silent, waiting for her permission to continue.

"You may speak."

Bowing once again, the messenger stepped forward, "Your majesty, the All-father requests your presence in the Observatory." Giving one final bow, he left.

"Mother, can I come?" Thor asked, pulling her attention back to her children.

She shook her head, "No, my dearest, I need to talk to your father alone. Perhaps later. But for now, I need you to look after Loki for me until I return, alright?"

He nodded, his smile widening at the prospect of responsibility. "He will not leave my sight Mother!"

"I will not be long," she said, returning his smile. As she stood, she nodded to the maid and made her way to her husband.

The Observatory was a large balcony that lead off from the throne room. It overlooked the rainbow bridge that led to the Bifrost, therefore had the best view of the stars. It was here that Odin had asked for her hand, and where she had told him of her pregnancy. It held many fond memories, and it was a place that always made her relax. Perhaps that was why it was here that he had requested to meet her.

Stepping out into the morning light, Frigga found her husband stood gazing at the retreating darkness of the night over the edge of the falls. He looked pensive, and she knew he did not realise she was yet present.

"You wished to see me," she said, announcing herself to him.

To most, it would seem as though he had remained unaffected by her voice, but through her years of accompanying him through his life, she could see the slight twitch in his muscles to show his surprise. Not that he would admit it, of course.

"I… do not like the way we ended our conversation last night," he said with a sigh, "It was wrong of me to have thought such things."

Walking up to his side, the Queen, placed her hand on his arm, "No. It is I who should be apologising. It was wrong of me to have raised my voice as I did."

"But it was not. I was in the wrong. I ought to have thought my actions through before taking him from that place. Now… I cannot even conceive the repercussions of that single mistake."

Frigga frowned and turned his head to face her. His eye had been covered by a bandage, the healers obviously unable to help it, and she could feel the coldness in her stomach that came with an unfamiliar feeling of guilt for not helping him herself, though she was quite certain she would have been unable to do anything. Pushing those thoughts aside, she returned to the task at hand.

"Mistake? No, it wasn't a mistake. You were _meant_ to bring that child to Asgard. It was always a certainty. He was _meant_ to be a part of this family."

"But he will never believe himself to belong here! Once he knows what he is, he will feel that he is an outcast." Suddenly, Odin's face became stern, "We must not tell the child what manor of creature he is. He may see himself as a monster."

She shook her head, "Oh, my husband. You are as stubborn as ever to see the truth. If we were to hide the truth from him, would this not mean, when he does discover his origins, for that is as certain as the rising of the sun, he will believe us false and hateful? Would he not blame us? The sooner he knows of his situation, the sooner he will be able to accept it."

"But he could still see himself as a monster!"

"And this is only because _you_ see the Jötunns as monsters!" she replied, cutting him off, "You may not realise it, but children look up to their parents, and the stories they are told can have a great effect on their lives. If you tell them stories of how the Jötunns are monsters who only seek to destroy and kill, then they will believe you."

"Are they not these creatures though?" the All-father replied, "Why else would they have wished harm upon the humans?"

Frigga stroked his cheek, the corners of her mouth rising slightly, "Then when you tell these stories, you must make sure that our children know that they do not know any different. You must make sure that they know that the Frost Giants are not monsters, but beings that cannot understand that their actions are wrong."

Slowly, Odin nodded, moving his own hand to reach for her face. As his hand touched her skin, she leaned into it, closing her eyes at the familiar touch. "Whatever would I do without you?"

Kissing him on the lips, she smiled, "Suffer horribly."

Returning her kiss, the King smiled. "Now, where are my sons? I wish to see them."

**AN - Haha! Another chapter. Sooner than expected too.**

**Just so as you guys know, the next one is already in the works, so it shouldn't be too long before I publish it, though I make no promises!**

**Thank you to the Guest who reviewed! I would have replied personally, but, since I can't... I'm glad you liked that line! As soon as I got to that point, I just knew it had to be written.**

**I was listening to Printemps by Helium Vola during this chapter.**

**Thanks to Unleashed Mischief, Mackenzie the Untitled and the Guest who reviewed! And I hope evryone enjoyed this chapter as much as I did!**


	3. A Presentation Feast

**A Presentation Feast**

The throne room was filled with many members of court from many realms, all eager to see the new Prince of Asgard. It was filled with a rainbow of colours. The bright golds and reds or the Æsir, the silvers and blues of the Vanir, Frigga's own people, the greens and browns of the Elves, coppers and iron of the Dwarves and the small flecks of ruby from the small number of Fire Giants. Unsurprisingly, the Frost Giants had refused the invitation.

As with each new royal birth, messengers had been sent out to each realm, inviting the rulers or their representatives to celebrate in the new life that had been gifted to them, no matter what the relations were like between them. Not that the _Jötunn_s would trust them enough at the moment though.

Frigga stood with Loki cradled in her arms and Thor stood by her side, his hand clutching her skirt discretely behind her back. Her eldest still wasn't used to being in a room so full of people from so many different realms, as there had been little occasion for such a gathering to happen during the years of war.

Putting a hand on his shoulder briefly, she gave him a small smile.

"Welcome," Odin cried, the murmurs and whispers suddenly coming to a close, "honoured guests. It brings me joy that you have privileged this hall with your presence. As my messengers would have informed you, I have been blessed with the gift of a second child. A son! Upon whom I bestow my name."

Stepping forward, the Queen of Asgard handed the babe over to her husband, being careful not to startle him too much.

Lifting him up for everyone to see, the All-father held his son carefully and with an honest smile. "My second son! Loki Odinson!"

Many of the crowd members cheered, though the Elves only clapped, as was expected. The Fire Giants did not make a sound.

As expected, Loki began to cry at such a loud noise and was soon returned to his mother's arms. Thor had been much the same at his own presentation, but they were necessary to keep some ordinance of peace.

Rocking him from side to side, Frigga hummed to him, trying to keep the boy's attention on her and her alone.

It took a little longer than she thought to calm him down, but once he had, the green eyed boy was just as cheerful as ever. By the time Loki had calmed down, all of the introductions had been made, and everyone was being led to the dining hall for the feast.

Luckily though, Fulla, her most trusted servant and friend, had made sure to memorise each of their most honoured guests' names.

"The blonde elf in the umber tunic with his bow slung over his shoulder goes by the name of Faradei. He is accompanying Queen Alfyse of the Dark Elves, though I am unsure why a Light Elf would do so. Perhaps their own war has ended since the start of our own," the maid explained.

"Perhaps," Frigga replied, "Be wary of her. Though she may share the same colour of our once enemies, she is far from graceless. I believe more than one man in this room has fallen for her wiles. Indeed, I do not trust her at all."

Fulla nodded, "The Dwarf sat beside Faradei is King Eitri, his brother, Brokk, is beside him. Apparently he lost his hair in a mining accident. Something about dangerous gases and flames. I did not fully understand though, my lady.

"Lady Idun has graced us with her presence this night as well, my lady, though her husband has not been seen for many years."

"I suspect the great poet is probably writing a ballad for his wife," the Queen replied, "Or perhaps he is hiding from me, knowing he is not _my_ child, and yet he is my husband's."

Much to her chagrin, Odin had been with several others before herself, and so Thor had a number of half-brothers and sisters, one of whom was Bragi, Idun's soul mate. She couldn't help but hate them, though she knew it was not their fault, but she couldn't bring herself to hate her husband.

"Yes my lady," Fulla continued, carefully breezing over the matter, "Freyr and his sister Freyja have joined us today as well. They sit beside the All-father."

Frigga let her eyes drift over to the two familiar figures clothed in blue. It had been some time since she had last seen her old friends, though they had changed little. Their fair hair had grown, but other than that, their features remained unchanged, both as youthful as they had ever been.

"The Fire Giants, however, have decided to remain unnamed. They have stated that they have come on behalf of all Jǫtnar, though it is quite clear that the Frost Giants will take some time before they will come to trust us once again."

The Queen smiled at her maid and thanked her, deciding to ignore the last comment, and turned her attention back to the table, only to notice Faradei watching her, a sense of curiosity in his eyes. Especially when he glanced at the bundle in her arms. It was making her decidedly uncomfortable.

At last, everyone had settled in their respective places, but the feast had yet to begin.

Queen Alfyse, King Eitri, Lady Idun, Freyr and one of the Fire Giants remained standing as all others seated themselves, as was expected.

The Lady Idun stepped in front of Odin and bowed low, showing her respect. "As is tradition, we representatives of each realm worthy of your presence shall present this new child with a gift to show our loyalty and peace."

The King of Asgard waved his approval and smiled.

The Æsir woman approached Frigga and presented to her a small box tied with golden string. "As is tradition, your majesty, I, Idun of Asgard, present to you the fruit of the tree of youth and immortality, so that your child may be blessed with health and strength."

Taking the box, the Queen nodded her gratitude, passing it to Fulla as she made sure Loki was sat up against her chest. The young boy seemed to be quite intrigued by the box, but became easily distracted by the small hairy man that replaced the tall beautiful woman.

"In the name of the Dvergar, I, King Eitri of Svartalfaheim Beneath, present to you the Onyx Egg," the Dwarven king said, holding out the blackest, most pure stone Frigga had ever seen in the shape of an egg about the size of both her hands put together, "It was found in the depths of our most treasured mines, and is one of the greatest treasures of our home."

Taking it from the Dwarf, she was about to pass it to one of her maids when Loki moaned, reaching up to it. Somewhat surprised, she placed it on her lap in front of him, wondering what he would do.

The young boy seemed to frown at it for a moment, his tiny hands on either side of the stone, but then he leaned forwards and put his ear to it. Pulling away, he giggled, placing a kiss on its smooth surface and patting it gently. Once he was finished, he looked up at his mother, as though giving her permission.

Passing the stone to Fulla, Frigga noticed that Eitri looked particularly moved, tears beginning to form in his eyes and a small smile on his face. As he bowed and moved away, she couldn't help but wonder why he would have reacted so.

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she watched as one of the Fire Giants approached, his maroon skin and the marks that covered his bare form making it seem as though he really were one with the flames.

"We of Jǫtunheim present to you a fire stone," he said in a voice that sounded like thunder, holding out a red crystal to the new prince, almost touching the Queen, "It will grant the power over flames, and protect its wielder from their sharp tongues."

Loki reached out to the stone and watched as the lights within danced in their prison. When he looked up at the Giant, he gave his widest smile.

She could have sworn the Jǫtunn's lips upturned in return.

As Freyr stepped forwards, he sent her a quick grin before continuing. "In the name of the Vanir, I, Freyr of Vanaheim, present to you a blanket, made from the threads of the sky only created when the stars reach out to the earth."

Draping the forest green fabric around the Princeling, he watched with a smile as Loki proceeded to bury his face in it with a cry of glee.

"It shall never fray or break, nor loose its colour. It is the softest of all fabrics, woven by our own Queen's hands to be as light as the clouds, and instilled with the magics of the Seven Winds, so it shall never cease to keep you warm, nor ever be too small."

Pulling the cloth from over her son, Frigga passed it to Fulla who folded it up neatly and placed it on top of the other gifts. Although he was not pleased with the fact that his blanket had been stolen from him, Loki seemed content knowing it was near.

Thor, who was sat between herself and his father, fingered his cape, no doubt remembering that it was of a similar weave, though made from thread of the sky only created when the sky praised the sun's return.

Once the Vanr had retreated to his seat, the Dark Elf took his place.

Everything about her screamed danger. From the tips of her azure skinned toes to the ends of her charcoal hair, everything about her made Frigga's teeth ache.

With a snide grin, Queen Alfyse pulled a box about the size of an old tome from behind her and held it forwards. "In the name of the Dökkálfar and the Ljósálfar, of both Svartalfaheim Above and Alfheimr, I, Queen Alfyse of the Dark Elves speak on behalf of all my brethren. I present to you the Endless Chest. It may seem small in size, but it has been carved out of the bark of Yggdrasil herself, and will never fill. These objects will only be able to be reclaimed by the owner of this box, and only when they wish to."

Taking it from her hands, Frigga let Loki inspect it, his small fingers gliding over the carvings that covered it, depicting a map of the realms. It was very well made and incredibly detailed, and the dark wood was polished to perfection. Still, there was something about it that she didn't completely trust.

Quickly handing it to her maid, the Queen of Asgard nodded to her husband and stood, holding her son close to her. As she rose, so did her husband, along with everyone else in the hall.

"I thank you all for your wondrous gifts," she said, making sure that her voice was loud enough for all to her, "But, the hour is late, and my child is weary." As if on cue, Loki decided to yawn, causing several female members of the audience to sigh. "I bid you all a good night."

Walking out of the room, her head held high, she headed straight towards the nursery, waiting patiently for Fulla to catch up with her, her hands full of the gifts that had been bestowed upon her son.

Once Loki had been safely placed in his cradle, the gifts placed on the table nearby, Frigga pulled the green blanket from the pile and draped it around him.

"Fulla?"

The maid rose from re-arranging the toys that had been left scattered on the floor. "My lady?"

"Would you mind asking King Eitri to join me?"

She curtsied. "Yes, my lady." And with that, she left, leaving them alone in the room.

Frigga was about to walk to the balcony when her son's cries drew her back to his side. "What is it Loki?" she asked, pulling him into her arms again, "What troubles you so?"

Sniffing, the small boy reached out to the table where his presents lay, barring the blanket, of course. Taking him closer, the Queen realised that he wanted the Onyx Egg, though the reason escaped her.

"Would you like this?" she asked, picking it up and placing it in the cradle with him. Once he was sat down again, he calmed down, holding onto its black surface as he had done in the hall. At this point, he started babbling at it, as though he was trying to speak.

Pulling a handkerchief from her sleeve, Frigga wiped away the tears and snot that had started sliding down his upper lip and cheeks, folding it up and leaving it on the side afterwards.

At this point, the door opened, and Fulla entered, trailed by the King of the Dwarves… and Faradei.

"My lady," the maiden said, drawing her attention away from the unwelcomed guest, "King Eitri of Svartalfaheim Beneath, and Faradei of Alfheimr to see you."

Smiling at her, for it was not the young woman's fault, Frigga thanked her and gave her permission to leave.

Once her hand maid had left, she let her eyes fall on her visitors.

"I do not remember asking your presence here, Faradei," she said, her voice cold, "I suggest you explain yourself, and do so quickly. I will not tolerate spies."

The Light Elf nodded, the tips of his pointed ears going slightly red. "I do apologise, your majesty, but I am only doing what my duty dictates."

One of Frigga's eyebrows rose. "Explain."

The Elf nodded. "Well, I am here to inform you that the box you have received is indeed what Alfyse has told you and nothing more. I put a spell on it to prevent any curses from being placed on it."

The Dwarf King shifted. "You do not trust your own Queen?"

"She is not my Queen," Faradei answered through gritted teeth. "She overthrew my people and now she treats us as slaves. She will never be my Queen."

As convincing as this statement was, it was still not enough to persuade her of his trustfulness. "How am I to know that what you say is true?"

The Elf paused for a second, but then pulled the bow he had on his back over his head and stared at it for a few moments. Closing his eyes, he held it out to her. "I give you my bow."

Frigga was struck speechless.

Elves were notorious for being as protective as Dwarves when it came to their weapons. They put a part of themselves into the wood and the metal as they bent it to their will, and so such an action as this was like giving away a part of themselves.

Holding up her hands, she smiled at him. "Keep it. You have convinced me."

Faradei visibly relaxed as he pulled the bow over his shoulder again, though he remained serious. "That message was not the only reason I came here," he continued, "I noticed, while we were at the feast, that he has… a certain presence."

She nodded, understanding what he meant. Loki almost glowed with the amount of magic that was gathered around him, so it was not surprising for a Light Elf to have noticed.

"I would like to offer you my services, when they are needed. It would be my honour to help with such a gifted boy."

Ignoring the confused looks Eitri was giving, Frigga nodded. "It will be. I thank you."

The Elf bowed. "I shall take my leave of you."

As the door closed, she turned to the Dwarf King. "I apologise for that interruption. I did not expect Faradei to come with you."

"That's quite alright, my lady," Eitri replied, "Things like this do happen. But what was the purpose of my coming here?"

Smiling, she led him to the cot. Once they got there, the gazed upon the strange scene.

Loki had made a small nest with his old blanket to surround the stone that he had refused to go to bed without, and had pulled his new one over both it and himself, and was now lying asleep next to it, his fingers brushing against it slightly.

Once again, the Dwarf King seemed to choke up.

"I called you here to ask the reason why you show so much emotion when my son acts this way towards your gift."

Blinking his eyes, Eitri looked up at her and exhaled. "I… I may not have told the whole truth when I presented this gift to you."

"Indeed?"

Sighing, the King of Svartálfar composed himself. "Amongst my people, there is a tale of a great creature that once roamed the nine Realms. The description of its features has been lost in the many years of its retelling, but it has always remained clear that the creature was one of the guardians that kept the balance. Unfortunately, it was said to have spent too much time in Yggdrasil's presence, and it died."

Frigga nodded. It was common knowledge that no living creature would be able to stand the sheer power of the Great Tree for long. It would seep under your skin and infect you, filling you with a power that your body could not possibly hold. Until your heart gave out.

"However, this was not before it continued its line."

She blinked. "The creature was a female?"

Eitri nodded. "She laid many eggs, but most of them were destroyed, and the rest had been lost. But I found one. In my youth, I explored many of the realms, and discovered the Onyx Egg whilst exploring a natural cave in the far reaches of Alfheim, surrounded by the broken shells of its siblings. Since that day, I have been guarding it, keeping it out of harm's way."

"… And you just gave it to my child?"

The Dwarf King shifted slightly, "Well… not precisely. I was not fully in control of the situation."

"Then who was?"

Eitri looked up at her, his dark eyes meeting with her own. "The creature."

Frigga nearly laughed. "And how could the creature possibly control this situation?"

"Believe my words or not, but this creature _chooses_ its guardian. It has grown weary during the past few months, and no longer wishes to be guarded. It wishes for companionship."

"And how do you know this?"

"It… It told me," the Dwarf explained, "It can communicate with those it deems worthy, through whispers in the mind, and, from the way it reacted this night, it believes your son is its equal. It can finally emerge from its shell."

The Queen of Asgard remained silent for a few minutes, trying to process the information she had just heard. One part of her was telling her that it was impossible, whist the other was telling her that Eitri was telling the truth. He had never lied to her before, and to tell her such things in her own Realm meant he was putting a lot of faith in her.

Yes, she had heard similar stories of such a beast, but it had simply vanished into legend. If he was truly sincere, then her child would not only have the faith of the Dvergar, but also the protection of a powerful being.

"Your tears are tears of joy," she said quietly, not trusting her voice with much more, "You are glad for its happiness."

Eitri nodded, taking her hand. "I thank you for your understanding, my lady."

She returned the gesture before he left, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

"Oh Loki," she sighed, "What strange paths have been placed at your feet."

**AN - AND... relax...**

**Wow... that took a rather unexpected turn... I hope it wasn't too drastic for you guys. Or too long.**

**A big thanks to UnifiedNations, Lady Charity, mskaityw, mas, Goten James Smith and fan girl 666 for reviewing!**

**And since mas was a Guest... As am I! I hope this satisfied your hunger for now. :P**

**Whilst I was writing this chapter, I ended up watching a Bad Romance x Avengers video, which is seriously cool (look it up on youtube guys!). So thanks to Mackenzie for that! And another thank you for Kez! I know our bunny adventure may be over, but there will still be many to come!**

**... And no, other readers, I will not explain what that means.**

**I hope you enjoyed this update as much as I enjoyed writing it!**


	4. A Messy Princeling

**A Messy ****Prince-ling**

As was expected, Odin left some weeks after the feast, leaving an appropriate time of celebration, before returning to Jötunheim to settle a peace treaty. The negotiations had not been going well since his absence, and it was clear that the only way they were going to make any progress was for him to be present.

During these week, there had been many feasts, many of which had ended up with a fight after much mead had been consumed. At least, that's what Frigga was told as Thor had jumped around the nursery after the guests had left, having to leave before the end to make sure Loki had enough sleep or some other mandatory reason.

Since the night of his presentation, the youngest son of Odin had refused to leave the Onyx Egg alone unless it had been covered by the Sky Blanket, and even then, not for more than a few hours, and now, after his adoptive Father's absence, he refused to leave out of his sight. This, of course, left Thor confused.

"Mother?"

The All-mother looked up from her embroidery to find her son's bright blue eyes staring at her. "Yes? What troubles you?"

"Mother, why is it that my little brother always has that big stone with him?" the boy asked, indicating the offending item that was within reach of the babe on the floor as he played with some wooden blocks. "I do not understand it."

"Well, why do you always have your red cloak with you?" she answered, tugging at the fabric attached to his shoulders, fingers moving over the dwarven design of the golden clasp holding it there, "And why do you always wear this broach?"

Thor frowned, "Because they are my favourite."

"Then does it not make sense that your brother keeps his stone with him for the same reason?"

The blonde Prince considered it for a moment before smiling, "It does indeed, mother! Thank you for explaining it to me."

"You are most welcome," Frigga replied, returning once again to her needle-work as the boy ran off to find more enemies to defeat. Namely the helpless bushes and trees in the grounds. Loki, on the other hand, seemed quite content building various towers that would inevitably collapse after about six blocks, occasionally patting King Eitri's gift, as if to comfort it or make sure it knew he was there.

She had informed her husband of the nature of the gift the morning after she herself had been privy to it. He had, understandably, gone into a rage, and several pieces of furniture came to know the blade of his sword, but after a few hours, and many kind and soothing words, he calmed down and was able to think rationally.

They had both made the decision that Thor should be told, so that, when it did hatch out of the egg, he wouldn't immediately think it a monster and try to slay it with his wooden sword. However, the boy had become jealous, finding it unfair that Loki would be friends with a powerful creature and all he had was a small broach.

Fortunately though, the distance he had kept between himself and his brother had slowly shrunk, and he had begun trying to convince the child that they would both be great warriors one day. He would demonstrate his skills with his sword and pose in ways she was sure she'd seen Odin stand in his meetings.

It was during one of these demonstrations though, that Loki started to cry. It turned out that he had started teething.

Not that Thor knew. He automatically assumed that it was his fault that his brother had started to bawl and scream, and so had apologised a number of times, even though Frigga had repeatedly told him that the blame was not his, nor anyone's. That it was something that was supposed to happen and it was natural.

That didn't stop him from taking extra care around Loki, and he kept his battles as far away from him as he could, though there were times when an enemy had snuck past him and he was forced to defend the defenceless child and the fair maiden.

This moment in time was one of those blissful periods of time where the air was _not_ filled with the wails of a child in pain. It was also getting close to midday, which meant that it was time to feed him again.

"Fulla," the All-mother said, placing her embroidery in a drawer so the needle wouldn't be noticed or touched as she turned to her maid-servant, "Would you bring me the rest of Idun's apple please?"

The young woman placed her own sewing in the drawer before closing it and standing, "Of course, my lady. I shall return with haste."

As she left, Loki waved at her, making noises that resembled a goodbye, and returned to his tower, a staggering eight blocks high, picking up another wooden cube. Unfortunately, just as he was placing it on top of the pile, it collapsed in a head around his legs. Sighing slightly, an action that never failed to put a smile on Frigga's face, he started again.

A few minutes later, and three more attempts at building, Fulla returned with a bowl and a spoon, in which was the last of Idun's apple, mashed and squashed into pulp so that Loki would be able to swallow it. Kneeling in front of him, she gathered a little of the paste onto the spoon.

"Alright Loki, it's time to eat now," she said, holding the spoon close to his mouth. "Ah…"

Noticing the spoon, the young Princeling shook his head and squeezed his lips together, pushing it away.

"No?" She tried again with the same result. "If you insist then." Putting the spoon back in the bowl, she left it on the floor next to the egg and re-seated herself in her chair, pulling her embroidery out of the drawer.

As she continued on the handkerchief, Frigga kept one eye on the small boy as he continued to build his towers.

By the time the sun had passed its peak in the sky, the Queen could feel her own stomach start to groan. She was about to ask Fulla to send for lunch when something extraordinary caught her eye.

Instead of being sat next to the building blocks as he had been moments ago, Loki was now on his hands and knees, slowly moving across the floor towards the Onyx Egg which was next to his cradle.

Watching him intently, Frigga smiled at the boy as he slowly made his way across the room until at last he was beside his gift. It was to her great surprise though, that he did not touch it, even though his hands did move towards it, but when they disappeared behind it and re-emerged afterwards full of the pale yellow goo that was the apple, she realised what he was doing.

Stuffing one of his fists into his mouth, Loki swallowed the pulped food, saliva running down his cheeks and covering his fingers when he forced the other in. He was getting himself into a fine mess, the left over fruit dropping onto his clothes and the floor from his cheeks and hands.

Pulling a cloth off of the table, the All-mother, sat in front of her son and began to wipe off his fingers and face, returning the cheeky smile he gave her. "Oh, what a fine mess you've made Loki. And now your hands are all sticky!" She picked up the bowl and spoon, "You shall be having a bath after this, young one."

Loki opened his mouth wide as the spoon came closer and Frigga had no complaints this time, helping him finish off the whole bowl before wiping his mouth off again. Picking him up, she looked down at the egg. "Say bye bye to the egg now."

Loki waved at it before putting his arms around her neck and digging his nose into her chest.

Frigga exited the room and walked down the hall until she reached the wash room, where Fulla had already filled a large basin full of water from the hot spring. Making sure the water wasn't too hot, she stripped her son of his clothes and placed him in the foaming water, watching as he babbled in glee at the bubbles that surrounded him.

Odin had never understood why she wouldn't let the maids handle the children before they were toddlers, but the Queen knew fully well that this time was the _only_ time when she would be able to hold them in public, and this time was short. As they grew older, there was no doubt in her mind that they would more than likely choose to separate themselves from her, and so she spent as much time with them as she could.

Soaking a cloth in the lukewarm water, she proceeded to wipe the sticky substance that had adhered itself to him, slowly clearing it away to find clean, soft skin underneath. Picking up the soap, she lathered it into his hair, which was now spiking up everywhere from his playful behaviour, and rinsed it out using the jug of water on the side.

Satisfied that he was clean, Frigga pulled Loki out of the basin and covered him with a towel, rubbing gently so as not to harm him. "There, nice and clean now."

Once he was completely dry, and his new, fresh clothes were on, she picked him up and carried him back to the nursery, where Thor was sat, staring at the black oval, holding the blanket up to show its dark surface.

"Hello Thor," Frigga said, startling him.

Standing quickly, he backed away from his brother's gift. "M-mother! I thought… I did not realise that-"

"Calm down Thor," she said, setting Loki down next to the blocks again, "You were doing nothing wrong. It is quite healthy to be curious."

The boy visibly relaxed, looking back down at the green lump. "I was just wondering what creature might be hiding inside the stone."

She nodded. "I wonder much the same thing."

Loki had started to build towers once again, though they seemed to be a lot more stable this time, taking more of a pyramidal shape instead of the usual thin and tall structure. Picking up a block, he turned to his brother, holding it out to him.

"For me?" he asked, holding out his hand, into which his brother placed the cuboid. "I thank you brother. It is a noble gift." Loki smiled at him as he took it away and returned to his tower.

For a few moments, they both just stood there, watching as he slowly began to surround himself with the wreckage of his once mighty building, having gotten bored with it and pushed it over. Eventually, he gave up on it entirely and moodily threw one of the bricks away, pushing himself onto his knees again and slowly crawling over to the safely covered egg.

As he uncovered it, Frigga put a hand on her eldest son's shoulder. "Perhaps, if you ask him nicely, Loki will tell you."

Thor blinked. "I had not thought of that…" Smiling up at her, he gave her a quick hug of thanks and sat down next to his brother. "I say, little brother, I would very much like to know what it is that you have in your stone."

Loki blinked at him, confusion clearly written on his face.

The blonde Prince frowned. "Um, perhaps…" He put the block he was still holding down and made an enclosed space with it and a few others. "Loki," he said, pointing at the babe, "I," he pointed at himself, "would very much like to know," he tapped his head, "what is inside," he pointed inside the enclosed space he'd created, "your stone," he pointed at the egg.

The babe still seemed a little confused, but he smiled and pointed at his gift, babbling.

"Yes," Thor said, as though replying, "What is held within it?"

Loki pursed his lips before holding out his upturned hand. Confused, the Prince copied, but Loki pulled it towards him, his finger wrapped around Thor's thumb, and moved it to be on top of the stone, placing both of his own on the larger hand.

As Frigga watched, she realised that Thor's eyes had become wide and Loki started to giggle. What was happening? Was the creature communicating with them?

Before she could say anything though, Loki lifted his hands off of his brother's who quickly followed suit. He remained silent for a while, staring at the egg, before smiling slightly and turning to his brother.

"You are indeed, most blessed, little brother," he said, rubbing the boy's head as he stood, earning him a fit of laughter. As he approached his mother, she could barely hold back the questions that had begun to fill her head, but he surprised him further. "Mother, I am afraid I cannot tell you what I know. I gave it my word that I would remain silent until it emerged."

Smiling slightly, she nodded. "Then you are indeed one of honour."

The statement had obviously pleased him, as he stuck his chest out before he left, a huge grin plastered to his face.

And it was that moment that Loki started to cry again.

Teething was never a pleasant stage of growing up.

**AN - And another chapter done! Whoop!**

**Sorry if this wasn't exactly what you guys were expecting, but... it's my story. And as Loki so appropriately said; I do what I want!**

**A great big thanks to everyone who reviewed since the last chapter! I would write your names, but the list is steadily increasing, so I thought I'd quit while I was ahead. I hope you all got my replies...**

**I was listening to Blow Northerne Wynd by Helium Vola... again... whilst writing this chapter.**

**The next chapter is already in the works, but everything's getting a little intense with Uni coming up, so don't be surprised if some chapters are later than others in the near future!**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter! And I hope you enjoyed it!**


	5. Gifts Uncovered

**Gifts Uncovered**

Months had passed, slowly but surely, and the seasons changed. The leaves on the branches of the trees wilted and fell to the ground, and the cold winds of winter soon followed. Although it would never snow in Asgard, there were times when the winds from the mountains brought the whispers of its ice with it.

It was during this time that Loki began to become restless, the walls of the nursery too confining and too small for him, and he was caught several times trying to escape through a partially open door, and a couple of times already in the hallway. It was after he was almost stepped on by one of the guards that Frigga decided to take him outside.

And so, dressed in warm furs, both she and her son entered the royal gardens.

Though the trees were bare, the garden was far from colourless. Many flowers had bloomed in their beds, bright pinks, yellows and flecks of blue surrounding the yellowed grass upon which the Queen's children played.

Thor had taken to carrying Loki around as he told stories of their future victories, and on the rare occasions when Odin was able to escape from his duties, the King would tell stories of past battles, making sure to keep his promise to his wife and explaining that their enemies knew no better and did not understand their wrong, that they were too stubborn to do otherwise.

And with every story, Loki's understanding grew. He was able to distinguish between solemn moments and joyful ones, reacting in increasingly appropriate ways, though it was no doubt that his brother's reactions were a focal point, hence the reason why they were always so over the top. Of course, his favourite ones were the ones that Frigga told him, as she always used her magic to create images to show the more beautiful things.

Now that his teeth had all come through, Loki had started to eat more solid foods, but he still refused to eat when he was supposed to, opting to wait until no one was looking before he'd try it himself, earning him regular trips to the wash room. He had also started to stand, and closely followed were his first steps.

Both Friga and Odin had been present at this momentous occasion, and they were overjoyed as he padded his way towards them with Thor holding his hand, keeping him from falling. Since that moment, Loki had barely kept still, constantly moving around the garden on his tiny feet as much as possible before falling over. He went through several pairs of trousers, and many bouts of tears and scraped knees because of this, but he never gave up.

However, even as the buds began to form on the tree branches, and his first ever hair cut came and went, one thing never changed; his attachment to the Onyx Egg. Now that he was able to walk, he took extra care of it, taking it everywhere with him in a specially made cart with a handle so that he could push and pull it along the ground.

Thor had refused to speak a word of the incident all those months before, not that Frigga was surprised, and Loki was still unable to speak any intelligible words, but even if was able to, it was quite clear that the identity of their charge would remain hidden. At least until it saw fit to emerge from its obscure shell.

And so, life continued, the chill of the early spring air made the All-mother pull her shawl tighter around her shoulders as she watched her children play. Thor, as per usual, had decided to practice his swordsmanship, whereas Loki was examining the plants, and seemed especially interested in a particular flower.

She had brought a book with her this morning, and she returned her attention to it briefly, examining the patterns in the stars it showed, when she felt a tug at her skirt. Looking down, she found Loki holding up the delicate white Snowdrop up to her, a small smile on his face.

"Pre-sent."

She stared at him. "What… What did you say?"

The small boy frowned. "Pre-sent!"

Taking the flower from him, Frigga smiled. "Thank you Loki. Very much. I shall treasure it always."

Smiling, the young Prince left again, joining Thor in his battle, who immediately picked him up and swung him in circles, making him laugh.

She was stunned.

His first word. Loki had just said his first word! And not just a word, but a complex one as well!

Looking at the flower between her fingers, she carefully placed it on the page she was reading and closed the book. Yes. She truly would treasure it.

Suddenly, Loki's laughter changed into the warning moan that came before tears, pulling Frigga's attention back to her boys.

Loki was sat on the grass, holding his hand out to Thor who was trying to wrap it up in some sort of make-shift bandage, but she could see the spots of blood that were on a sharp stick on the ground next to their feet. Sighing, she approached them, preparing her magic to heal up the wound.

Taking the young boy's hand, she called upon the magic of the great World Tree and bound his broken flesh together, using what remained of the bandage to clean up the remaining blood before kissing the unbroken skin of the boy's palm.

Loki stared at his hand, this being the first time Frigga had ever used her magic to heal any of his wounds, in unabashed awe. Pulling it back into his own possession, he turned it over, as though expecting it to have seeped through to the other side, but it was just another bit of pink skin.

Holding it up to his brother to see, he started to babble and gurgle, several pieces coming very close to words, but not quite.

"Yes," Thor replied, "Mother is very gifted in her magic. She is the best healer in all of Asgard."

Loki, obviously not understanding the words his brother had used, just continued to point as his hand.

Sighing, Frigga pulled him onto her lap as she knelt next to him, causing him to look up at her. Taking his hand in hers again, she smiled at him. "Present."

For a moment, he just stared at her, but then his face bloomed into an enormous grin. Turning around on her knees, scrunching up her skirt in the process, he wrapped his arms as far as he could reach around her, burying his face in her hair.

Returning the hug, she quickly released him, and he sped back over to Thor, holding his arms up in the hopes of another piggy-back, the entire incident forgotten in the blink of an eye. Unable to refuse his younger brother's pleading eyes, the pair were soon running circles around the garden again.

"Isn't it a little damp to be kneeling on the grass?" came a familiar voice.

Turning her head, Frigga found Odin standing behind her, a small smile gracing his features. Patting next to her, she urged him to join her, to which he replied by slowly seating himself on the spongy turf.

They spent a few moments sitting in silence, watching their children as the sun slowly moved across the sky.

"Loki has spoken his first word."

The All-father turned to face his wife. "I missed it?"

She nodded. "Only by a few minutes at the most."

The King of Asgard exhaled slowly, no doubt upset by this news. "And what was this word?"

Smiling at his interest, the All-mother turned back to face her children who were now sat pretending to warm their hands by a fire. "Loki!" The young boy turned to her, "Go and find Father a present!" Grinning, the young boy immediately left the 'fire' to search the garden for an appropriate gift, leaving Thor alone in his cold wilderness.

Odin gave her a confused look, but remained silent, trusting her enough to know that this strange request had a purpose.

Soon, Loki approached them, holding a bright blue Iris in his tiny fingers. Holding it out to his father, he smiled. "Pre-sent?"

Odin's eyebrows rose, but he carefully took the flower as he returned the smile. "Thank you very much Loki. It is beautiful."

Sending a smile towards his mother briefly, Loki quickly dashed back to Thor, who seemed to be in the middle of finding firewood, twigs and branches clutched in his muddy hands. No doubt they were both going to have to have a bath before the day was out.

"That is indeed, a very gifted child," the King said, examining the black haired boy with kind eyes.

Frigga nodded. "Indeed he is. And he's ours." She leaned into his shoulder, humming in delight as his arm draped over her shoulder, pulling her closer into him, which was luckily unhindered by the usual ceremonial armour.

Unfortunately, just like every good moment, it wasn't meant to last, spots of rain pulling them from their moment of bliss. Pulling away from her husband's shoulder, the Queen pulled herself to her feet. "Thor! Bring your brother here! It's time to go inside!"

"But-!"

"No buts!" Odin interrupted, "Do you want Loki to catch a cold?"

Looking down at the younger boy beside him, Thor held his hand out and led him back to their parents, taking a short detour to Loki's little cart. Once they two children were with their parents, Loki smiled up at them and held out his hand to Frigga, cooing slightly.

Taking the offered hand, the Queen let the child guide her hand until it touched his precious Onyx Egg. To her surprise, she pointed at it. "Pre-sent!" he demanded.

Frowning, she shook her head. "I do not understand."

Loki mimicked her expression, but continued to point. "Present!"

Just as she was about to reply, Frigga paused, feeling something powerful gathering around her. It was a great presence, but an unfamiliar one. And yet there was something about it… "Loki! What are you doing?!"

"Present!" he cried again, the presence growing stronger, until, at last, it found a focus point, just as Loki's eyes filled with understanding, and all collided with the egg.

Slowly, she became aware of several hair-line cracks forming on the surface of the shell's perfect form, and she drew her hand back automatically, pulling Loki into her arms as she stood, ignoring his protests, and joined her husband some five meters away. These thin cracks soon became great canyons, spreading further and further across its surface.

Odin looked troubled, and tried to push Thor behind him, but the boy refused to follow his Father's instructions and, dodging his father's arms, he pulled Loki from Frigga's grasp, which had weakened after Loki ceases his fighting, and went to sit next to it, a huge grin adorning his face.

"Thor! Loki!" she cried after them, trying to go to them but being held back by Odin's strong hands, "Come back here! It's not safe!"

Neither of them paid her any mind, their attention fixed solely on the hatching egg.

The progress of the shell's cracks was slow, but a piece was beginning to rise close to the top of the egg. As it rose, the first glimpse of the creature could be seen. Scales as black as midnight covered the nose of the lizard that started to peek out into the world, its tongue flickering out from between its lips, tasting the air. When Loki pulled the large piece of shell that obscured its features away, it slithered out onto the increasingly wet grass.

The creature's long and slender form, along with the tiny teeth that lined the inside of its mouth and the shine of the scales that covered its body could only mean that it was a snake. And not just a snake, but a python. A constricting reptile that ate its prey whole, and the way it was curling around their son was not a comforting sight.

"Oh, 'tis a magnificent creature little brother!" Thor exclaimed, reaching out to stroke it, and, to both of the monarchs of Asgard's utter bafflement, succeeding. "Does he have a name? As I am known as _Thor,_" a point as himself, "and you _Loki_," a point at his brother, "what is _he_ known as?" he asked, pointing at the snake.

Loki frowned for a moment, stroking his fingers across the python's skin, before nodding. "Jör-mun-gand!" he exclaimed, smiling.

Thor grinned. "And a fine name it is!" He turned to face Frigga and Odin, both of whom were still in a state of shock. "Mother! Father! You must meet Loki's friend, Jörmungand!"

Shaking herself out of her stupor, the All-mother shook her head. "Not until you both come inside. You shall catch cold, all three of you, if you remain in this weather for much longer!"

And with that, she picked up her book and headed indoors, trying to grasp what had happened over the past few minutes.

Not only had Loki spoken not one but _two_ words, his egg had hatched, and, probably the most important of all, he had used magic. And the use of such powerful magic at such a young age, and probably unwittingly, was only scratching the surface.

**AN - Haha! And now you know! I hope I didn't disappoint you... :P**

**This was such a fun chapter to write! Sure there were a couple of twists and turns I wasn't expecting, but what's a story without surprises!**

**Oh! And just so as you know, when Thor said "She is the best healer in all of Asgard", please bear in mind that a child believes that their parents are the best at everything, so it is not necessarily true... but it might be... :P (I'm sure you can see that I love that smiley)**

**For my Guest reviewer; Thank you! I try. And I'm glad you liked it.**

**And for all of my other reviewers, a huge thank you!**

**I would also like to thank everyone who's followed or faved this fic! It's great to have your support!**

**I was listening to Wings by Little Mix whilst writing this chapter, and it helped me get through a temporary writer's block. (Yay!)**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did!**


	6. Family Matters and a Blood Oath

**Family Matters and a Blood Oath**

As strange as it was having Loki being constantly accompanied by a snake, once it became clear that it would do no harm to either him or his brother, Frigga relaxed considerable. Jörmungand also provided them with a small service as well, as the number of mice found scurrying around the gardens was quite high until he started to develop a taste for them. The rodent's numbers did not decrease noticeably at first, but it soon became apparent that their sightings had become less frequent, and the grain sacks were more intact than they had been before.

Of course, with this worry out of the way, Frigga could focus on other, more important matters, such as Loki's ability to use magic.

That moment in the garden had been but a glimpse of his true potential, and even that had been enough to make her tremble. It seemed that the sight that Yggdrasil had granted her had been clouded that night when she had looked into his soul. He would not just _match_ the Elves, but surpass them.

As the months steadily turned into years of passage, and the boy's language and vocabulary grew, along with his interest and questioning nature, though his magic refused to resurface again, even though she could always feel it, moving and pulsating beneath the surface, but never acting out of place. But as his understanding grew, the rulers of Asgard were faced with another problem; the truth.

They had been lucky that not many people had asked of Loki's origins, as many had assumed that he was the result of a possible act of infidelity on Odin's part, as Frigga had shown no signs of being pregnant during the months before his first appearance, and those that had were quickly turned away with that very story. However, they both knew that if they were to leave it much longer, then it was possible that their son could act in a way that could be harmful to himself or others, especially with the belief that was still widely spread that the Jötnar were indeed monsters.

It had been some weeks since Frigga had first broached the subject with her husband, and it was drawing close to Thor's twenty eighth Name-day, his brother still having only lived through ten, when the All-father decided that the time was right.

And so, the four of them were gathered in Loki's bed-chamber, a room which was light and spacious, though mostly bare due to the fact that it had only recently been given to. Both of the children, almost equal in size now, were sat on the bed, Thor in his red shirt and Loki in his green, colours they had both favoured since they had been gifted their blankets from Vanaheim.

Frigga sat on the covers with them, trying to stay as close to her youngest son as possible while Jörmungand curled around him protectively, whereas Odin was sat on a stool in front of then, hands grasped on his knees as he stared at the floor.

Sighing, he glanced at his wife briefly before facing his boys. "There is a tale from the war against the Jötnar that only a rare few know of," he started, watching as the two boys' eyes lit up in excitement, "and your mother and I have decided that you are both old enough to know… the truth."

They frowned slightly, but remained silent, eager for this tale of undoubted triumph and victory.

Glancing back at his wife, Odin was welcomed by a comforting smile. "As you both know, the Jötnar had declared war on the humans on Midgard with the Casket of Ancient Winters, unable to fight their ice magic alone. And so, we of Asgard took up arms to defend them. Our armies drove the Frost Giants back into the heart of their own world, but not without a cost.

"Neither Jötenheim or Asgard were left without mourning widows and fatherless children, but, in the end, their King, Laufey, fell, and the source of their power was taken from them. And thus the last Great War ended, and we withdrew from the other worlds and returned home."

Both Loki and Thor grinned, knowing how this story went. Usually, it would go to Loki's presentation and his birth bringing a further state of peace between the Realms, how they were both born to rule, but they were to be mistaken this day.

"However, before I left Jötenheim, in the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple and I found a baby," the man said, looking directly at his youngest son, the child's smile fading from his features, "He was small, for a giant's offspring, yet healthy in every other way. A Jötunn had been poised, over him, holding a blade of pure ice, about to kill the babe, but I was able to stop him before that occurred.

"As I looked at the child, I realised the markings were very similar to Laufey's own, so there was no doubt in my mind that it was his own. When held him, it felt as though he belonged in my arms, as if it was my fate to find him there."

A look of understanding was beginning to form over Loki's features, though Thor remained oblivious to the meaning of the tale.

"For reasons I still do not fully understand, the babe's marks began to fade, and his skin took on the hue of an Æsir…"

Loki started to shake his head. "…no." His voice was barely more than a whisper, but Odin heard it, and as much as it broke his heart, he knew he had to continue.

"… and so, without anyone's knowledge, I brought him back here…"

"Stop," Loki said, his hands clutching at his blanket which covered his bed as his eyes began to water, "Stop, please!"

"… and named him my son, Loki."

"It's a lie!" the boy cried, startling Jörmungand from his position and forcing the lizard from the bed, "It's not true! It can't be true!" He shook his head, tears flowing down his cheeks.

Thor tried not to stare at him, but the revelation was too shocking for him to process at that moment, and so he just gawked at the boy he had known only as his brother.

"It's… it's not!" Loki continued, jumping from the bed and running to the door, but in his state, he was unable to open it, and simply slid to the floor, his quiet sobs reverberating off of the polished surface.

Walking up beside him, Frigga knelt a small distance away, but did not make any contact, knowing that he would have to be the one to make the first move.

After a few minutes, Loki's tears began to dry, but he refused to face any of them.

"Why?" he asked, his voice dry and broken, "Why did you take me?"

Odin bowed his head, guilt playing over his features. "I… I had hoped that, through you, I would be able to bring about an alliance, a permanent peace, between our two peoples. But, in my exhausted state, I had failed to see that you had been cast out by your own people."

"So, I am just another stolen relic?"

"No!" Frigga cried, almost reaching out to him, but stopping herself before she touched his arm, "You are _not_ a stolen relic!" He turned his head to face her, "You are our son! Perhaps not in blood, but in bond and everything else that matters. You are as much my child as Thor is, no matter what your origins may be. Do you not remember what your father told you about who you are?"

Slowly, Loki nodded. ""It is not what you _are_, but what you _do_ that makes you who you are"."

She smiled. "And what does that tell you?"

Sniffing, the young boy's bright green eyes searched her face, though for what she was unsure. "That I… I'm-"

"That you are my little brother."

Turning away from the door, Frigga found that Thor had joined them, crouching next to his brother. "You are a good and loyal friend, and you have you have not a single evil bone in your being." The blonde boy smiled warmly at him. "You are a magnificent word-smith, and a worthy comrade."

Loki's lips curled upwards slightly at his words and he wiped away the tears that were still in his eyes.

"You are a part of this family," the All-father said, approaching them slowly, "You are as vital to us as the air we breathe, or the blood in our veins. We would not be a family without you."

Holding out his hand, Thor stood, leaning over his brother as Jörmungand slithered his way over to his companion, resting his head on his shoulder, almost like a dog. Taking Thor's hand, Loki allowed himself to be pulled up and immediately embraced his sibling, tears falling once again from his tightly closed eyes.

Lifting herself into a higher kneeling position, Frigga encircled her children with her arms, pulling them both into a hug, and she soon felt Odin's familiar hand on her shoulder as he encircled them.

They were finally a family without secrets.

* * *

At last, the shadow that had been lingering over him for as long as he could remember was finally gone and he could breathe a sigh of relief. It was a great shock to discover that, not only was he adopted, but he was also a Frost Giant. The son of Laufey no less. But his family's words had given him comfort, had given him a place and a steady rock to stand on. He knew it would be hard to accept what he was, but he also knew he had their support.

And yet, there was still something that bothered him.

"Brother!" his elder brother called, pulling him from his thoughts.

It had been some hours since his parents' confession, and he was now sat in the garden his Mother had been bringing him to for years, his only company being Jörmungand, who had remained silent since the confrontation, leaving a strange absence in his thoughts. His voice had always been there for him in the back of his mind, so it was clear that this was something he had to work through by himself.

Sitting down next to him, Thor smiled. "Brother, I have found you!"

Loki returned the smile, though it did not reach his eyes.

The blue-eyed boy must have noticed, as his grin disappeared. "What is the matter?"

"I…" Loki shook his head. "It is nothing, brother."

"No, it is not, otherwise you would not be so distracted."

The youngest boy sighed. Thor knew him too well. "Everything today has been… well… It's hard to explain exactly."

Thor frowned. "Try. And I will try to understand."

"Well, I know it is hard for me to take in everything I have learnt today, and though I do feel a part of this family, I… don't." He frowned at his own description, eyes going out of focus as he tried to find the right words. "It's not that I don't feel like a part of it, it's more…"

"Like you don't belong."

Loki looked up at him, surprised. "Exactly. I am not of Æsir blood. As much as I want to be able to follow Mother's words, I can't help but feel like it is a gap between us that I cannot breach."

Thor frowned, nodding at the logic behind it. He looked away for a few minutes, expression pensive and calm. Suddenly, he grabbed Loki's arm and pulled him to his feet. "Follow me. I have a solution!"

Before he could ask what he meant, Thor dragged Loki back into the halls, pulling him down corridor after corridor with Jörmungand at his feet, until at last they stood outside a door that looked very familiar; the door to the armoury.

They had spent many hours playing in the confines of this room once they had been able to sneak away from the eyes that would watch them, though they had been caught several times and warned not to do so again, else they get hurt by one of the many sharp objects inside whist they wondered how they got inside without the guards seeing. Of course, this door was a secret, and too small for any of the adults to get through, and so they would continue to enter at their own free will, as long as they were careful enough to prevent it from being discovered.

Opening the door, Thor pulled his brother inside, making sure that the coast was clear before-hand, and closed the door behind him.

"Thor? What are you doing?"

The blonde boy gave him a sly smile. "You'll see."

As they made their way through the corridors of spears and axes, Loki following of his own free will now that his brother had released him, Thor pulled a dagger from its place before continuing to the balcony which overlooked the cliffs above the water which surrounded Asgard. When at last they stopped, they turned to face each other.

"Give me your hand," Thor said, holding out his own.

Frowning, Loki complied, raising his right hand up.

Almost immediately, the older sibling used the dagger to slice through the tender flesh of his palm, causing him to cry out in pain as blood began to well up, but before he could ask why, he flipped the blade in his hand and gave it to him.

"You have to cut my hand now," Thor explained, "We have to do it like this for it to work."

Instead of asking, Loki complied, slicing through the skin of his brother's right palm, causing the boy to hiss. Dropping the knife, Loki watched as his brother took his wounded hand and pressed it against his, a serious look on his face.

"We were already brothers by name, but now we will be brother by blood. By mixing our blood together, we will be forever bonded, and our families will be entwined. You are now part of my family, and I am now part of yours. Your troubles will be my trouble, and mine yours. We will share everything, no matter what. Do you understand?"

All Loki could do was nod numbly. Thor was willing to go this far for him?

"Loki, I swear to you that I will never betray you, and I swear that I will always listen to your counsel… Now you say it."

He blinked. "Oh! Um… Thor, I swear to you that I will never betray you, and I swear that I will always listen to your counsel. Was that right?"

Thor smiled. "Perfect. Now we just-"

Suddenly, Jörmungand leapt out from where he was hiding and wrapped himself around their hands, holding them together and preventing them from letting go. Obviously that there was something more he wished to happen.

At first, it wasn't clear what was happening, but then Loki felt a tingling sensation, like pins and needles, but it was all over his body. Looking over at Thor and seeing how uncomfortable he was, it seemed that he felt the same. He became aware of the feeling of warm liquid moving against his palm, and the tingle changed into a slow throb.

Staring up into Thor's eyes, Loki could see his own fear reflected in those blue orbs. What was happening? What was Jörmungand doing to them?

And then, as suddenly as he had jumped into action, the python released its grip, and the throbbing once again became a tingling sensation, and then it was if none of that had happened at all.

For a moment, all they could do was stare at each other, hands still locked together, but then the familiar creak of the main doorway pulled them from their daze and they pulled their fingers apart. It was a lot harder than they thought it would be, scabs having formed in an amazingly quick time, almost acting as a sort of glue, but as they wiped it away, they found not an open cut but a thin scar running parallel with the lines in their hands, almost unnoticeable unless you looked for it.

They both looked at the snake, who simply nodded and slithered away as their Mother appeared in the corridor, a relieved look on her face. As she gathered them both up into her arms, Loki heard that familiar voice in the back of his mind, and from the look on Thor's face, it was clear he could hear it too.

It said two simple words; _Shared blood._

**AU - Before I say anything else, I have to point out how dangerous it is to make blood pacts or become blood brothers/sisters in this way. There is a serious risk of transferring blood carried diseases such as HIV or hepatitis. There is also a risk of cutting nerves if you go too deep, and a probable need for stitches. My sister accidentally cut her hand open with a pair of scissors once a few years ago, and she still has the scar.**

**Okay! Now that we've gotten that out of the way... I LOVED writing this chapter! It was a little difficult at the point of revealing Loki's origins, but the ending was worth working through all of that! If anyone can tell me what happened in that last section, they get a virtual Loki cookie!**

**Thank you again to everyone who's been supporting this story! And Guest; I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

**Once again, I was listening to Wings by Little Mix (such an addicting song!) while I was writing this chapter.**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter as much as I did! And I hope to update soon!**


	7. Exploding Dragons

**Exploding Dragons**

Weeks had passed since discovering his true heritage, and the nightmares that followed eventually faded in his Mother's arms. Everything continued on as it always had, and the insecurity he'd felt disappeared almost immediately after making the blood pact with his brother. Lessons continued, and days came and went, almost indistinguishable from each other. But an event was about to occur to change all of that.

It was just another day of playing hero in the palace grounds, the sun shining overhead and a cool breeze in the air, and both children of the great All-father were fighting a fearsome dragon in the vast wastes of Muspelheim, jumping out of the way of its fiery breath, until they were suddenly separated by a wall of flames.

"Brother!" Thor cried, trying to reach through the flames, only to have his hand scorched by its heat, forcing him to pull it back with a hiss.

"Be careful!" Lokis replied, "Its fires would surely melt steel it is so hot!"

Thor nodded in reply and turned back to face the beast that threatened to destroy them, a foul grin on its face. It swings its claw through the air at them, forcing them to duck, but the blonde boy trips on an uneven stone and falls flat on his face, leaving himself open to attacks.

The dragon notices and turns his attention to the prone figure.

Panic filled Loki's chest as he watched the beast inhale, ready to strike a deadly blow upon his brother. He feels a kind of weightlessness and calm descend over him, in a similar way to when their mother healed their wounds with magic sometimes, and he points his sword towards the giant lizard.

"No!" he shouts, throwing his blade at its scaly flesh.

It soars through the air straight and true, and Loki can feel the weightlessness leave him as it hit the dragon in the breast… and then the statue exploded.

Loki stared in disbelief at the shattered shards of marble that littered the grass, charred black as though they had been exposed to a furnace. Thor lifted his head, from the ground, his own confusion showing in his face. Picking up one of the pieces, Loki watched in fascination as it dissolved into dust, slipping through his fingers.

Had he done this? Had he performed magic?

But this was no magic he had experienced before. The only magic his mother had ever performed was that of healing, not of distruction. He looked down at black dust in his hand, smudging it into his skin. _Surely this is a dream._

"Loki?"

Looking up, he found his brother approaching, a look of awe and pride in his eyes, along with an unmistakable hint of fear. "Did you do that?"

Glancing back at the spot where his 'sword' lay, unharmed in the rubble, he knew without a doubt that it must have been. "I… Yes."

Thor grinned. "You can do magic!" he beamed, a huge smile growing on his face.

Loki opens his mouth to answer, but it suddenly distracted by quick footsteps on the steps that led down to where they were. Turning around, they found their mother and her hand-maiden Fulla rushing towards them, worry written all over their faces.

"Loki, Thor, are you alright?" she asked, indicating the rubble that surrounded them. "What happened?"

The youngest of the two looked back at the mess he'd created and shrugged. "We were fighting a dragon."

Frigga frowned, not understanding what he meant.

"Um… We were playing."

"We were fighting against a great beast!" Thor exclaimed, raising his wooden sword, "It was in Muspelheim, and the creature had separated us with a wall of fire!"

Loki nodded. His brother's enthusiasm was infectious. "Yes! And then it tried to hit us with its claws, and we had to move out of the way. But Thor tripped and fell!"

"On purpose!" the blonde boy insisted.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, the beast was about to burn him when I suddenly felt as light as a feather, and as calm as… as…"

"Mother, he made the dragon explode with his sword!" Thor interrupted, spreading his arms out wide.

Her eyebrows rose. "Yes. I can certainly see that." She turned her attention to their limbs. "You are not hurt?"

They shook their heads.

Relief washed over her features and she reached out to both of them, pulling them into her arms. "I am glad!" She kissed them both on their foreheads and smiled. "So, Loki, how did you make this dragon explode?"

* * *

Once they had finished their tale, and Loki had explained what had caused his magic to appear, Frigga had immediately sent a messenger to Afheim and taken her youngest into the room where most young girls learnt their first stages of magic.

As soon as they entered, Loki's first reaction was one of confusion. After all, it was common knowledge that only the _women_ of Asgard could be blessed with the gifts of magic, and yet everything about him was contrary to that. Even though he knew himself to be a Jӧtunn, it was still hard to believe it. Especially since he looked so similar to the Ӕsir.

But now, it was impossible for him to deny it. And with magic as strong as his, he would have to be taught, otherwise there lay a risk of it reappearing in a way similar to what had happened earlier.

Putting a hand of his shoulder, Frigga smiled down at him as he examined the diagrams and various vials kept on the walls and stored in shelves and cupboards, trying to decipher the labels and words written there.

"Do you understand?" she asked him, "Do you know why you are here?"

The boy nodded. "I have magic in me. Just like you, Mother."

She smiled. "Not quite like mine. Yours is special."

He frowned. "Special?"

Nodding, she led him over to one of the chairs before sitting him dawn, kneeling in front of the confused child. "Ever since I first held you in my arms, I knew you would be a powerful enchanter. Even more so than I."

His eyes widened, a feeling of excitement shining deep within. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" she replied, laughing slightly at his enthusiasm, "Look, I want you to try to do as I say, and I want you to tell me what you can see."

Nodding, Loki watched with fascination as his mother closed her eyes and took a long breath.

And then he felt it.

At first, it was the same feeling from before, that weightlessness and calm washing over him, only this time it was faint, and he could only touch it and observe. It was like reaching out to touch fabric, only to have your fingers to fall through it as it turned into smoke.

"Can you feel my magic?" she asked, her eyes remaining closed.

Loki nodded. "Yes."

Taking another deep breath, the All-mother opened her eyes, and the feeling evaporated, leaving a slight emptiness behind.

Smiling at him, Frigga moved her hands to the sides of his head, her soft fingers comforting his still reeling mind. "What you did earlier. That was an amazing feat." Loki could feel the pride rising inside him. "But it was dangerous." And it was immediately crushed.

"Magic is a delicate thing," she continued, "It consists of threads that surround us, and moulds the way the Realms grow. And it all comes from the Great Worlds Tree, Yggdrasil." She indicated the diagram on the wall that he had only now recognised, the lines and spheres becoming the familiar carvings on the box he kept on his shelves. "Enchantresses – and enchanters – can see these threads and weave them into great sheets of stronger, sturdier magic.

"It is also the only way that we can use it without fear of damaging the source of our powers; Yggdrasil Herself." Frowning slightly, she continued. "What you did today… You used the raw threads of magic in a way that they should not have, and it could have caused them to fray. But, your use of this magic was so brief that it only _moved_ them."

Loki tried to understand what she was saying, but his mind just couldn't grasp at the words she was giving him. "What would have happened if I had broken them?"

At first, his mother remained silent, but then she licked her lips and continued. "If one of the threads had frayed, then you would have been harmed in a way of self-protection. A warning, so that She may heal herself. But if it were to have broken, then a part of Her would have died, and it would affect all the realms. Not only this, but Yggdrasil would have removed Her link to you, and you would have perished."

He could feel his eyes widen, the thought of dying freezing his thoughts.

He could remember learning about how each living thing was given life by the Great Worlds Tree, and that when they died, they returned to Her. But never had he heard of Her taking away their bond beforehand! It made shivers run up his spine.

Suddenly, he could feel the blood flowing out of his cheeks as tears began to well up in his eyes. He had been that close to dying…

"Oh, Loki!" Frigga exclaimed, pulling him to her chest, stroking the back of his head, "It's okay. You're okay." Loki began to sob, his throat beginning to burn from holding them back. "I would travel to Valhalla and back to keep you with me. I would fight for you with every fibre of my being. I swear it, my son. I swear to you that I will never let that happen."

He nodded, letting himself become slowly lulled into sleep by her words.

**AN - Hey guys! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I just started University this week, so it's all been a little... busy, shall we say? And I had a bit of a writers block, so it's not as long as I would have hoped, but I didn't want to keep you in the dark. I mean, something's better than nothing, right?**

**I'm not terribly happy with the way this chapter turned out, but I'm glad something came out at all.**

**I have no idea when I'll be updating next, but it should be a longer update than this.**

**I was listening to Snow White from the Snow White and the Huntsman OFC whilst writing this chapter.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! And I hoped you enjoyed the chapter!**


	8. The New Tutor

**The New Tutor**

After several weeks of waiting, a Light Elf of Álfheim finally arrived, his arms weighed down by great tomes of books that seemed much too heavy for his dainty figure to bear, but bear them he did.

As much as Loki knew he had to learn how to control his abilities and power over magic, his mother had refused to let him join the girls in their lessons, and he didn't complain, knowing that it would be more than likely that they would gossip about his sudden appearance, and probably end up teasing him.

Frigga had also decided to keep him away from the girls for another reason; he was more powerful than they were, and so he needed special training. That was why she had sent for Faradei.

The Elf's arrival had, of course, caused quite a stir, no one quite sure why he would come here, but when Odin All-father made a public announcement that the representative of Álfheim was here to teach his children the history of his Realm, they let the subject be.

Of course, now that the lessons were going to begin, Loki wasn't so sure any more.

Thor had to join him in his lessons in order to keep up the charade that his father had told, but if there was one thing he had learned about his brother, it was that he was not one for sitting around. Inactivity was _definitely_ not his forte.

Standing in the hallway outside of the grand library, a room neither of them had entered before this day, the boredom was already evident on the blonde Prince's features as he leaned against the wall.

"Why is it that I must accompany you while you are taught by the elf?" Thor suddenly asked, looking over at him.

Sighing, Loki shook his head. "Mother told you not an hour ago! We must keep up this farce so that the people of Asgard do not suspect that I can use magic."

His brother frowned. "But why must it be kept a secret? Why not tell everyone so that they would all know how powerful you are?"

"Because the people believe that power comes from physical strength, not magic here!" he exclaimed, taking a deep breath to calm himself down, "They would shun me and consider me weak. Magic is a woman's tool in Asgard, not a man's."

Thor's face hardened. "I had not thought of that."

For a few moments, they remained in silence, staring at the marble floor as they waited for the great doors to open, but then the older sibling's footsteps began to echo through the corridor as he approached his baby brother.

Suddenly, Loki could feel the warmth of a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to find blue eyes smiling at him.

"I do not think you are not powerful, brother," he said, "You saved me from the dragon, and I do not believe that there could be any other warrior who could do so in one blow!"

The young Princeling frowned. "What of Father?" he asked, knowing the answer he would receive.

"Can you not remember the tales we have been told of his battles?" Thor questions. When Loki nodded, he grinned, "And in which of those can you recall that the All-father defeated an enemy in one fell swoop?"

"None," he replied, a smile growing on his own face.

The blonde boy nodded. "If any were to say that you were weak, you remember that you are even more powerful than Odin himself, and when you have the power to control your magic, you will be able to show them how wrong they were!"

Loki giggled slightly at the thought of their surprised faces.

"We are the sons of Odin, brother," Thor continued, "We are being tutored by heroes! Would it not make sense that we would become heroes as well?"

The younger boy opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by the sound of the library doors being forced open, so instead, he gave a smile as his answer and started to make his way to his first lesson in magic.

* * *

The library was a hall of wonders.

The shelves were made of such fine wood that was soft to the touch and reached to the ceiling, a height that no one would reach without assistance. The books themselves were great tomes of varying shapes and sizes, though all possessed that air that only ancient parchment could carry.

There were several ladders and winding staircases, some leading up to higher platforms and balconies, others to help find the books from higher up, and yet more that led down to unknown areas. Areas devoid of any real light where the shadows seemed to be reaching out from behind the gates that blocked the way.

The two boys gave these areas a wide berth, staying in the brightly lit main pathway as the guards led them onwards.

Loki could swear that, if he listened carefully enough, he could hear the books whispering to him, telling him the secrets that they kept hidden in their pages. It was like a small tickling sensation in his ears, and it felt so unusual, and yet comforting at the same time.

Was this what it felt like to be in library?

When at last they came to the end of their journey, they found themselves stood next to a fairly small round table – at least compared to the tables in the dining halls – beside which stood a tall and proud looking man.

He was a lot thinner than the guard they had followed, who was now walking away to guard the door, along with most all other men in Asgard. In fact, his features were almost feminine, though the sharp lines of his jaw and… other aspects said otherwise. His eyes were a bright blue and he seemed to be watching the leaves of the trees outside as they moved in the wind. And, of course, hidden behind his wild, golden hair, was a pair of pointed ears.

Loki knew his teacher was going to be an Elf, and he had heard about them in the tales that his Father had told when he spoke of the war between Asgard and Álfheim, but never had he seen one before.

"Um… Are you our new tutor?" he asked nervously, not too sure how the… man would react.

To his great relief, his new teacher merely turned to face him and smiled. "Indeed I am, my Prince. And I must say that you have grown since the last I saw you."

Loki frowned. "We have met before?"

"Not in a way you would remember I suspect," the Elf replied, "You were still but a babe in your mother's arms as you were showered with gifts from across the Realms, just over a decade ago. It was the last time I had stepped foot on Asgard."

The boy's eyes widened. "You were at my presentation ceremony?"

The new tutor laughed. It was a musical and light thing, and it seemed to make the room just that little bit brighter. "Indeed I was. I was sent to represent my people; the Light Elves. And to give the All-mother a promise that I would return when needed."

"Like now?" Thor chipped in, having stood back until this point.

Unlike Loki, Thor had already seen an Elf before. Not just a Light Elf, but a Dark Elf as well. He could remember the thin looking woman with skin the colour of sapphire and hair like a raven's wings. She looked beautiful, and yet there was something about the way she smiled that made her seem sinister and untrustworthy.

He could vaguely remember a blonde haired man that had accompanied her, but he couldn't recall his name…

"Like now especially," the Elf replied, "But before we begin our first lesson, there are a few things I must do. The first of which, is introduce myself." Taking a small bow, he crossed a hand over his chest. "It is by Yggdrasil's grace that I have been named Faradei of the Tall-Oaks. It is my honour to be your tutor, my Princes."

They returned the bow, though were a little confused at the greeting. Perhaps it was the way they did things in Álfheim. And what did he mean by 'Princ_es_'?

"I thought you were just going to be teaching Loki," Thor stated, tilting his head to the side in his confusion.

Faradei, as he was now known, nodded and motioned towards the table as he took his own seat next to where he had been standing. "That was the other thing I wished to speak of."

Once the two brothers were seated, he began his explanation.

"As I'm sure the both of you already know, everyone, save a select few, believes that I am here to teach you of my Realm's history."

They both nodded in affirmation.

"And I'm sure you know the reason why I am _really_ here."

The nodded again.

"Well, I believe that, in order keep this story as believable as possible, you will both have to learn about my home. The wars we have fought, the Kings and Queens of our land, the animals that populate it, and our tales of myth and legends. All of this I must teach you, and all the while, I must help you, Prince Loki, to control your power over magic."

Thor sighed, no doubt because he'd been hoping that he wouldn't have to do any studying, but their new tutor's logic was sound; even if it did involve a lot more work that Loki was expecting.

Faradei laughed at the elder Prince's reaction. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, it will probably be necessary, for these studies, to travel to Álfheim itself. I've been told that neither of you have travelled through the Bifrost before, is this not so?"

The blonde haired boy immediately brightened. "Is this true?"

"Indeed! If we can convince your father, of course," the Elf replied, "You may even be able to do so within a month. Perhaps for the celebration of your Name-day, Prince Loki, which I believe is approaching soon."

By the All-father, he was right! With all the excitement with the discovery of his magic, Loki must have forgotten all about it. To think, he would be eleven Name-days old in a matter of weeks, and he had barely even thought of it.

"As for today's lesson," Faradei continued, "I have decided that we should _not_ start your magic training until after you know me well, as it will help you to trust me when it comes to certain aspects. And so, I believe that today will be a day of talking. We will learn more about each other, and when I feel you are ready, we will begin.

"This is how we will begin each lesson until that time. But for now, let us sit and talk."

**AN - Tada! A new chapter! I'm sorry it took so long to write, but things are a little hectic in Uni at the moment, and I haven't been able to find much time to write recently. But here it is! At long last!**

**And I know it's probably not what you were expecting, but I'm like that. :P**

**Mwahahahaha! You have to wait for Loki's magic lessons! #grins evily#**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I feel so loved! #blushes# You're all so sweet.**

**And dancegirl, I can't either! But I have to wait, just like everyone else! And I'm glad you liked the story. :)**

**I listened to 'Wide Awake' by Katy Perry for the majority of time while I was writing this.**

**Thanks again, and I hope the next chapter wont take too long!**


	9. The First Whispers of Magic

**The First Whispers of Magic**

It had been weeks since that first meeting, and after every lesson, without fail, the two Princes would plead and beg their father to grant them permission to travel to Álfheim. And, at the beginning of each session in that magical library, the promised conversation would occur.

As the days passed, the trust Loki held towards his teacher slowly grew, and the number of secrets shared became numerous. However, it was a day before the young Princeling's Name-Day when everything changed.

Entering the Library on a particularly sunny day, Faradei was, like always, stood next to a window with his jacket on, bow slung over his shoulder and a pile of books on the table, several of which were open. As the boys came ever closer, he puller at the collar of his coat.

"My, it is very hot indeed this day," he said, looking over at them before pulling his weapon from his back, "Loki, would you be able to hold onto this for me whilst I remove my coat? I fear I will burn if I do not do so soon."

Loki stared at the carved piece of wood. He was shocked. How could Master Faradei bear to hand his weapon over so freely? Was it not the Elven way for them to destroy their weapons before ever letting another touch it?

Looking up into his teacher's eyes, he could see the serious look he was being given, and he slowly pulled the bow into his grasp, holding it delicately and with a great reverence.

After having so many lessons on the history and law of the Light Elves, the Princes knew of what this seemingly ordinary action meant. Even as their teacher pulled his coat off, they could only stare at it in awe.

He was holding a part of him. A piece of the man he had come to know as a friend. It showed a tremendous amount of trust, and it was barely believable. Thor had once asked why it was that he would always bring his bow to their lessons, and when he had been told the answer – that the bow was as much a part of him as his own arm through the magic that had crafted it – it had been made clear that they would _never_ be allowed to touch it.

"Thank you, my Prince," Faradei said, holding out his hand again so that the boy could return it.

Placing into the open hand, Loki smiled slightly as he thought about what had just occurred.

The Elf had just trusted him with his greatest secret. Was it not fair that he would share his own?

Sitting down at the table, the blonde haired man opened one of the books and started to flick through the pages. "Now, I had thought we would have a look at the forests that surround our capital city of-"

"I'm a Frost Giant."

Silence fell as Faradei froze, his fingers hovering over the parchment of the pages he had been scanning, though his eyes had become distant and unseeing.

Taking a step closer, Loki took a deep breath. "I found out a few months ago. I had been abandoned by my… by my family, and Father saved me."

The boy stared at his teacher, awaiting the reaction that he was sure was to come, only it didn't. He expected something a lot more… drastic, than what actually happened.

Eventually, the Light Elf turned his head up to face him, a smile on his face. "I know."

Loki's and Thor's eyes widened. "You do?" Thor asked, speaking up for his brother who had been struck speechless.

"Indeed," Faradei replied, closing the book, "Your Mother told me on the day of my arrival, as a way to show her complete trust in me. The fact that _you_ have told me this tells me you are ready."

"Ready?" Loki questioned, though he could feel a grin growing on his face, "You mean…"

The Elf nodded. "Thor, I would suggest you find something to do for a few hours. This is likely to take a while."

* * *

"Now, I want you to concentrate on that feeling."

"The weightlessness?"

"Yes. Concentrate on it, and try to _see_ where it is. Where it's coming from. What it's doing. Can you do that?"

"I don't know…"

"That's okay. Just try, and we'll work our way from there."

Nodding, Loki tried to focus.

He knew how to find where the weightlessness was, but it was always just a blob of strange energy that he could never define or understand, and that didn't change for this time. He could feel where it was, and he _knew_ where it was coming from, but that was only because Faradei had told him what he was going to be doing, not because he could sense it or anything. And the whole 'seeing' thing didn't make any sense! How was he going to be able to 'see' energy?

Trying as hard as he could, he tried to reach out to that power his teacher was trying to show him, but, after several agonising minutes, he sighed.

"It's not working!" he cried, standing up from his seated position on the floor, "I can't see it."

Opening his eyes, the blonde haired man looked at him with kind and sympathetic look in his eyes. "Well, would like to tell me what you're trying to do, and then I might be able to help you."

For a moment, Loki just stood next to the book shelves, running a finger down the spine of one of them, letting its whispers enter his mind and comfort him, before turning back to his lesson.

Sitting back down, he looked down at the floor, tracing a line in the marble with his finger. "I can find the area of weightlessness very easily. It's obvious where it is really. But I can't _see_ it. All I can find is that energy, but it doesn't _look_ like anything. And I can't see how it's coming from you, but I know it is because you told me."

Nodding, the teacher seemed to think about his words carefully. "In my Realm, in Álfheim, it is rare for children to be blessed with the gift of magic, as it is usually through many years of study and practice that it is obtained, though we have enough experience to overcome this. Of course, I do not believe there has ever been a Jӧtunn with the abilities to manipulate the threads of Yggdrasil before, so it does not surprise me that this would be difficult for you."

Loki nodded, still not looking up at the man. Why had he thought it would be any different?

_Because it is._

Looking up suddenly, the youngest Prince of Asgard smiled as he saw his friend slithering towards them, his black scales shining in the sunlight.

"Jӧrmungand!" he cried, holding his hand out to the lizard, "What are you doing here?"

_I came to help you, of course,_ the snake replied, wrapping himself around Loki's arm, _Did you really think I would miss your first lesson in magic?_

Loki grinned. "No, of course not."

"I was wondering when he was going to arrive," Faradei said, smiling at their guest, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Jӧrmungand."

The lizard nodded. _And I you, Master Elf. It is good to see that Loki has begun his lessons._

Bowing his head slightly, the man returned his attention to his student. "Now, Loki, I want you to try again."

The Prince groaned. "But I can't-"

"Can't? Or won't?" the teacher asked, raising his eyebrow, "If you don't try, then you'll just be giving up, and who knows what would happen then."

Sighing, Loki nodded and held out his arm to the floor, allowing his childhood friend to make his way back onto the ground again. Taking a calming breath, he closed his eyes and tried to focus on the feeling again.

Once again, he could feel where the weightlessness was, and once again, he was confounded by where it was coming from and what it was doing. But he didn't stop looking.

He tried to picture the magic – to really _see_ it for what Faradei had told him it was – and he tried to find the threads and the weave that he was creating, but every time he seemed to come close to that ever close goal, it would slip between his fingers and float away. It was infuriating!

Just as he was about to pull away, he felt Jӧr's scales on the skin of his arm again, and his familiar presence in his mind.

_You're trying too hard,_ he said, _You're attacking it, scaring it away._

_But how am I supposed to do that? It doesn't listen if I don't,_ Loki replied, recalling what the Elf had told him.

_Well then, maybe _you_ should listen instead,_ came the retort, disappointment towards the teacher becoming obvious, though there was also a hint of understanding, _Yggdrasil is granting you the power over Her threads of Her own free will. She has already acknowledged that you control it. You do not need to use force; just ask._

_How?_

The snake laughed. _You'll know._

Before he could ask what that meant, Loki could feel Jӧrmungand shut himself off from his mind, and he was aware of the distance between them increasing as the reptile left.

Mental shaking himself, the young Prince returned his attention to the task at hand.

Ask? But how was he meant to do that?

Taking another breath, he focused on the weightlessness again, but this time, he didn't just focus on the cloud of magic his teacher was manipulating, he looked past it, at the magic in the air around them. It was faint, and he could barely sense it, but he knew it was there, and this magic didn't flee when he reached for it. It was almost as though it welcomed his touch.

Ask…

_Yggdrasil? Do I hold your permission to see you? _he asked, his mind wrapped in the tendrils of Her web.

Suddenly, he felt something warm and… motherly, he supposed, brushing up against his thoughts, and he could feel pride and acceptance seeping into his bones, his thoughts… his everything. And as soon as he felt that, he could _see_.

At first it was just ripples in the way the sun's rays travelled through the open window, but then it became thick lines, and finally thin chords which wove themselves around everything, so strong and yet so fragile, unable to be touched by any save those such as himself. He saw the clump of threads being held together by the Elf in front of him, and he could see how She was trying to pull away from his firm grasp.

It was painful to see.

"Stop," Loki said, staring at the taught threads, Yggdrasil's cries of pain seeping into his thoughts, "Please, stop it."

Opening his eyes, the Elf released the hold he had on the magic and smiled. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, the threads remaining slightly frayed and stretched, but then Faradei held onto them with his magic again, and they became as they had once been, whispers of apologies floating through the air.

"The only way I was going to be sure that the Great World Tree was to accept you, was for Her attention to be already near you," the Elf stated, his eyes full of regret and sorrow, "Unfortunately, the only way I know of to do this is to inflict pain. It is inexcusable, and horrid to even contemplate, but it was necessary for you, considering your own power, but you must never do so yourself. It goes against everything enchanters stand for. You need to learn how to _feel_ Her pain, else you destroy your link with Her."

Wiping away a tear he had not realised had fallen, Loki nodded.

"Good," Faradei said, standing, "Now, let's see if we can convince the All-father to travel to my home Realm, shall we?"

**AN - And here it is! Your next chapter!**

**Sorry it took so long, but I got a little distracted with Once Upon A Time for a while... and a new fic I've just started... Don't blame me! Blame the plot bunnies! They were too cute to ignore!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Creating my own kind of mythology behind magic is always fun, so this will most definitely not be the last lesson you'll be previewing!**

**I was mostly listening to Flawed Design by Stabilo while writing this chapter, along with Wide Awake by Katie Pery (again).**

**Thanks once again for all your lovely reviews, and I look forward to the next chapter... whenever it may be.**


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